A 21-year-old man from Halesowen who went missing in the Netherlands was found dead after drowning in Rotterdam, a coroner's court has confirmed. Bradley Passey, born in Stourbridge and residing in Halesowen, died in Maasboulevard, Rotterdam, just weeks before his birthday.
Inquest Opening and Cause of Death
Area Coroner Joanne Lees told Black Country Coroner's Court that Mr Passey's death was reported after his body was repatriated to the UK from the Netherlands. A post-mortem examination established a provisional cause of death as drowning. Mrs Lees stated: "Following the repatriation of Mr Passey into the UK, a post-mortem has taken place and a provisional medical cause of death has been established as drowning."
Identification and Timeline
Mr Passey was identified at a funeral director's after repatriation. His date of death was recorded as June 4, 2026. The coroner confirmed that an inquest is required but could not set a date, as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office must coordinate with Dutch authorities to determine the circumstances of his death. Mr Passey's family did not attend the hearing on July 29.
Background and Disappearance
Before his death, Mr Passey was reportedly attending TwitchCon, an annual convention for the video livestreaming service Twitch, held in the Netherlands. Missing posters circulated at the time indicated he was scheduled to fly to Manchester Airport on June 1. Loved ones last had contact with him on the evening of Saturday, May 31. Authorities continue to investigate the events leading to his drowning.
